The present invention relates to an electronic cash register system.
The present invention relates, more specifically, to a register-in-line system, wherein a master machine and a plurality of slave machines communicate with each other through a network system.
Each of the slave machines performs the registering of transaction data. The thus registered transaction data is transferred to the master machine at a desired time. In such a system, the master machine must check the operational condition of each of the slave machines.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a data transfer control system in a register-in-line system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a monitor system in a register-in-line system, wherein a master machine can check operational conditions of the slave machines.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
To achieve the above objects, pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention, a state memory is included in each of plurality of slave machines. The state memory shows conditions of the slave machine as to whether the reset operation or the read operation has already been conducted to the transaction data memorized in the slave machine. Such a reset operation is performed to clear the transaction data stored in the random access memory of the slave machine to begin the accumulation of data for a new time period. This reset mode is known in the art of electronic cash registers. The read operation is performed to accumulate or read data stored within the slave machine by the master machine.The state information stored in the state memory is transferred to the master machine when the transaction data registered by the slave machine is transferred to the master machine. Therefore, the operator of the master machine can check the condition of each of the slave machines. When the state information indicates that neither the reset operation nor the read operation has yet been conducted, the operator of the master machine controls the master machine to develop an instruction signal to conduct the reset operation or the read operation in the slave machine.